§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact her proposal to extend the power of the learning and skills councils to put forward reorganisation proposals for 16 to 19 education provision will have on the role of local school organisation committees. [11534]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 31 October 2001]: The proposal will enable learning and skills councils (LSCs) to take the lead in developing and implementing strategic plans for local 16–19 provision across the full range of 16–19 providers. School Organisation Committees (SOCs) will have the right to comment on LSC proposals which affect their area. The range and type of proposals that a School Organisation Committee may itself consider in relation to school organisation will be unaffected. Nor does the proposal affect the range of decisions that a SOC may make, except where a proposal it is considering clashes with one which the LSC has submitted to the Secretary of State, in which case consideration by the SOC would be delayed until a decision is made on the LSC proposal.